


War Waits For No One

by smileyface1001



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, PTSD, Reflection, Voltron Paladins - Freeform, War, changes, kind of Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 00:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16357043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smileyface1001/pseuds/smileyface1001
Summary: This is a reflection on the people the Paladins were, and the people they have become, after the decaphoebs of fighting they have had to endure. One-Shot.





	War Waits For No One

War Waits For No One

The war has changed them all. It’s been decaphoebs since they left Earth; since they started to fight for the future of the universe. They have grown and changed in more ways than anyone could possibly imagine. If the other cadets from the Garrison could see them, what would they say? The children that left Earth are now brave men and women, who have sacrificed everything for the fate of the universe.

Shiro is quieter. He had PTSD from his time spent in the hands of the Galran Empire, but he is getting better with the help of his friends. He is more serious, more dangerous and his eyes are far too tired for a man of his years. He has come to rely on his team, to let them support him when need be, and he always returns the favour. He is getting stronger every day, and he is the leader and friend all of the Paladins need in these times. Shiro is not afraid of showing weakness in front of his friends, and none of them would dream of judging him for it.

Keith is stronger, sharper, bolder. He has grown into a man who is war-torn and dangerous but allows himself to soften within the confines of the Castle. He has let his friends in, and they have become his family now. He is just as determined to fight for the cause as he was at the start of this crazy mission, but he has become less hot-headed and more compassionate. Keith is a leader, now more so than ever before, and he has grown into the qualities that were unbecoming to him in his earlier years. He has learned to open up to the others, and they have replied in kind.

Pidge has grown, in more ways than one. She is taller, broader and more intelligent than ever before. She hasn’t lost her love of all things technology, but now she is more worried about the war than having fun, and that scares her sometimes. Her head is filled with coordinates, supply codes and encryptions, rather than the typical teenager things it’s supposed to be. But Pidge knows as well as the others that war waits for no one. She has grown into an adult, in the minutes that have gone by unnoticed, and her age doesn’t matter anymore. 

Hunk considers himself to be smarter, now. He can pilot any ship they have, he knows the inner components of the Castle upside down and inside out, and his knowledge of the kitchen is unmatched across the galaxy. He has learned to control his anxiety and is one of the strongest warriors around. If you mess with anybody he considers a friend, you will have to deal with the wrath of Hunk, and that is not something to be taken lightly. He is cheerful as always, and he is always willing to lend an ear to those who need it.

Lance has hardened around the edges. Less flirting, more focus. He is still very much the goofball of the team, and he always knows exactly what to say to lighten the mood. He is an expert marksman, and there is no one the other Paladins would rather have watching their back. He has let go of the childish rivalry he pursued with Keith, and instead they maintain friendly competition, constantly encouraging each other to become stronger, faster, better. Lance has not lost his charisma, and he can turn it on in a heartbeat to soothe a frightened child or win an alliance with a nearby planet. 

They have all accumulated their scars. Shiro’s might be the most prominent, but the others have their stories to tell too. The scar Lance admits he is most proud of is the starburst of white and pink covering his upper back, a memento of the time he saved Coran from the explosion. Pidge has a scar covering most of her right forearm, from the time she wasn’t fast enough to escape the explosion of a console. Hunk has several bullet scars on his torso, from when he pushed Keith out of some sentries’ line of fire. Shiro has too many scars to count, and he does not like to think of them. He can only hope that he got most of them by protecting either himself or someone else, and he doesn’t really want to think about the alternative. Keith has a lot of knife marks on his back, from an incident when he was working for the Blade of Marmora. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but the others know it is often the subject of his nightmares.

They all have nightmares. Shiro’s were the first to start, but soon all of them were waking up with screams dying on their lips. It is hard not to have nightmares, when you have watched a child die at the hands of the Galra, when you have watched your teammates get shot in front of your eyes. It is an unspoken rule between them that if any one of them has a nightmare, they are welcome to seek comfort with whichever of the others they choose. It is not uncommon to find someone sitting in the lounge with a blanket wrapped around them, fighting sleep as they don’t want to be dragged back into a world of horror. That is the reason Hunk has started making a jug of cocoa in the evenings. He leaves it in the kitchen, and anybody who fancies a nice, hot drink can go and get some. It is easy to warm up, and there is nothing like the feeling of a warm drink to sooth your fears. 

The children they were before this started would not recognise them now. Not these five, who are scarred and broken, but are holding onto each other. Not these five, who are constantly on alert for a threat, who sleep so lightly a mere whisper could have them instantly awake and ready for battle. Sometimes Coran and Allura reflect on this, on how unfairly this war has treated all of them. Still, not a word of complaint, not from one of them. As they have said many times before, war waits for no one.


End file.
